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Canary Islands Walking Tour

On this walking tour to the Canary Islands we explore the quiet island of La Gomera and the perfect volcanic cone of El Teide on Tenerife. On La Gomera we hike through varied and dramatic scenery including beautiful steep-sided valleys, quiet villages and the verdant cloudforest of Garajonay National Park. The tour ends with a walk in El Teide National Park taking in the spectacular views of this iconic Tenerife landmark.

Tour Highlights

Garajonay National Park - Explore La Gomera's unique cloudforest

San Sebastian - La Gomera's lively and colourful port town

Roque Cano - Magnificent rock formation

Playa Caleta - Relax on this black volcanic sand beach

Mount Teide - Admire the views of this iconic volcano

Itinerary

1

Tour starts Vilaflor, Tenerife

Tour starts in Vilaflor, near to El Teide National Park. Vilaflor (1400m) is the highest village on Tenerife and is surrounded by pine forests. In the afternoon we have a short walk in the local area on the slopes of El Teide as an introduction to the area, returning along the same route.

Our first walk covers 7 kilometres over approximately two and a half hours. The terrain is unmade mountain paths.

Overnight: Standard HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
None

2

Ferry to La Gomera. Explore cloud forest and ascend to Alto de Garajonay

This morning we drive down to the port of Los Cristianos and take a ferry to the green, verdant island of La Gomera. Docking in the small, pretty port of San Sebastian we immediately get an idea of the terrain, as impressive mountains loom up from the ocean behind the colourful town. After checking into our hotel we drive to Contadero (1350m) from where we begin our first walk, through Garajonay National Park. We start by ascending the island's highest peak, Alto de Garajonay (1484m), from where on a clear day we will have a splendid 360-degree view of the island. We then continue on the trail through the dense vegetation of the Laurisilva cloud forest, ancient Canaries' jungle only found on the Outer Canary Islands: La Gomera, Tenerife and La Palma. Later we reach the chapel of Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, and Barranco del Cedro a deep ravine surrounded by lush vegetation with a bubbling stream at the bottom. The trail then passes through the hamlets of El Cedro and Buenavista, from where we walk over the final hill to meet our bus and return to San Sebastian for the evening. San Sebastian was Christopher Columbus' last stopping place before discovering the Americas, so there are several 'Columbus' sites to be visited (optional) including the well where he drew water, his house and the church where he prayed. In addition, San Sebastian has two beaches, a host of restaurants and bars, and narrow streets bursting with life.

Our walk covers 12 kilometres over approximately four and a half hours. The terrain is unmade paths. Our maximum altitude is 1484 m.

Overnight: HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
Breakfast

3

Walk from Vallehermoso to coastal town of Agulo

Our day starts with a drive to Vallehermoso in the north of the island. This peaceful small town is surrounded by steep hills, palm trees and dry zone vegetation and is the starting place for some of La Gomera's most beautiful hiking trails. We follow a trail passing Roque Cano (a distinctive rock feature of the area), terraced fields and banana plantations to the coastal town of Agulo. Agulo was one of the island's first towns and its colonial buildings, winding streets and position directly above the sea have led to it being known as one of La Gomera's most beautiful places. On a clear day the volcanic cone of El Teide on Tenerife dominates the horizon. We spend some time exploring the town or relaxing in one of the cafes before returning to San Sebastian for the evening.

Today our walk covers 14 kilometres over approximately five hours. We walk on unmade hillside trails, unmade roads and a short distance on pavements. Our maximum altitude is 806 m.

Overnight: HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
Breakfast

4

Descend to Chejelipes via La Laja village

Today we start our walk in Degollada de Peraza, from where we descend to Chejelipes village. After a short drive to the start of the walk we follow the trail down a winding stone-paved path, through a variety of vegetation including aloe and asphodel, and later pines and then palms. Our first view of La Laja village is with a beautiful backdrop of the domes of Los Roques, prominent striking rock formations that are a major feature of this part of the island. We descend into the valley, ascending on the other side to arrive to the village. We then continue along a quiet rural road following the valley to Chejelipes where we meet our bus and return to San Sebastian. The afternoon is free to further explore the harbour, backstreets and cafes of San Sebastian.

Our walk covers 11 kilometres over three and a half hours. We descend on stone-paved paths, unmade hillside paths and a rural road.

Overnight: HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
Breakfast

5

Walk to the black sand beach of Playa Caleta

This morning we drive to the northeast of the island to Hermigua for a circular walk down to Playa Caleta and back. Starting from the village we descend down through rugged terrain, banana plantations and a spectacular deep gorge to Playa Caleta. Playa Caleta has a volcanic black sand beach and the area is well known for its delicious fresh fish. We have a chance to relax on the beach or in one of the local cafes, before ascending back up to Hermigua, where we meet our bus and return to San Sebastian.

Today our circular walk covers 14 kilometres over five hours. Again we are walking on unmade hillside paths.

Overnight: HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
Breakfast

6

Free day. Optional coastal walk

Our last day on La Gomera is free to relax or explore the local area. There is an optional walk along the coastal path to Cabrito Beach (a three to four hour walk).

Overnight: HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
Breakfast

7

Ferry to Tenerife. Circular walk to Guajara Peak

This morning we drive to San Sebastian port and board a ferry to take us back to Tenerife. From the port of Los Cristianos we drive for approximately one hour to the Teide Plateau where we make a circular walk to Guajara Peak, taking in the views to El Teide and enjoying the fresh mountain air. The best views of the Canadas de Tiede and their ancient lava fields are from here. For those that don't wish to do this there is the option to take the cable car up El Teide or take an easier walk around the landmark rocks, Roques Garcia. Later we return to Vilaflor where we overnight.

Our last walk covers 10 kilometres over four hours. We walk on marked paths. Our maximum altitude is 2726 m.

Overnight: Standard HotelSingle Room Available

Included Meals:
Breakfast

8

Tour ends Vilaflor, Tenerife

Tour notes

Each departure date has it's own dedicated tour note, detailing all you need to know about that tour. Whether you've already booked, or weighing up your options, please choose carefully the relevant itinerary for you.

We have the following different versions of the Hiking on La Gomera and Tenerife tour available at present.